Winnipeg dentist cares for teeth in poor communities
WINNIPEG, MB—When Brent Wong went to Africa in 2004 it changed his life.
A dentist by profession, he travelled to Zambia and Mozambique as part of a humanitarian effort to bring oral health care to some of the world's poorest people.
Wong returned to Winnipeg knowing he wanted to focus his life on helping people in Third World countries, so he quit his job at a local dental clinic.
"I realized soon after that I had made a mistake," he says with a laugh.
But that turn of events changed everything for him because it led him to start his own Winnipeg-based practice, Shine Dental, as well as a mission, Shine the Light Ministries.
Shine Dental's spa-like atmosphere, paperless office, high-tech equipment and caring staff all help make it a popular clinic known for its patient care.
The office currently has around 5,000 patients, about one-third of whom come from outside of Winnipeg—some from as far away as the U.S. and even London, England.
Wong particularly enjoys treating "dental phobic" patients. By taking time to get to know those patients and slowly walking them through the process, Wong and his staff are usually able get even the most nervous people to relax. "I believe you can manage cases without [sedating] patients," he says.
Wong sees his role as a dentist as a higher calling. "Patients trust the fact that I'm accountable to them. But I'm accountable to God first," he says.
And Wong's calling to serve continues to reach far beyond the walls of his office.
He and his staff travel overseas numerous times each year, setting up mobile clinics to offer free dental care to people who may literally live in garbage dumps and have never seen a dentist.
"We want to bring dental care to the world," he says of the more than 20 humanitarian trips he has been on since his journey to Africa.
Wong considers himself lucky to be able to offer dental care both in Canada and in Third World countries, but he says there's a big difference between the levels of need.
"Canadian poor is different than Third World poor. Haitians work for three dollars a day. We have such great institutions in Canada that they don't have," he explains.
Wong describes the work he does overseas as "desperate dentistry" where patients need the most basic of care.
In 2005, Wong and his wife Wendy created the non-profit organization Shine the Light Ministries, which allowed them to expand their mission trips and include the staff at Shine Dental.
They have already brought dental care to poor communities in Zambia, Mozambique, Northern Manitoba, Mexico and the Dominican Republic. And from May 14 to 21, they will again travel to the Dominican—only this time, they are bringing members of the wider community with them.
"Not only will we be planning a dental portion of this trip, but also a medical portion and a construction project [to build homes and a school] as well," Wong says in his online invitation to the local community.
He expects to have a group of 20 to 25 people go on the trip. Eventually he hopes to set up a permanent clinic in the impoverished interior region of the Dominican Republic.
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